The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear

Lieutenant Frank Drebin is a well meaning, clumsy cop who gets drawn into a dangerous scheme centered on the energy industry. A powerful faction plans to suppress a breakthrough technology that could ruin their profitable grip on the market. Drebin's investigation jumps from one ridiculous setback to the next, as he fumbles through meetings, misreads the clues, and stumbles into comedic chaos. Despite the mess, his stubborn honesty and surprising persistence keep him on the case. The film skewers action movie conventions while showing how corporate greed and secrecy can threaten everyday people and their futures. Supporting players deliver punch lines in quick succession, while cameos and visual gags punctuate the mayhem. The humor relies on timing and quirks today.

Directed by David Zucker from a script by Pat Proft, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams, this 1991 sequel builds on the The Naked Gun's irreverent spoof of action thrillers and punches up the jokes with a familiar ensemble for audiences.

Budget was 23,000,000 and box office revenue reached 192,030,411 worldwide, making it a strong commercial hit that helped establish the franchise as a reliable spoof series. Its success spurred sequels. Its brisk pace kept audiences laughing from start to finish.

Leslie Nielsen's deadpan timing defines the movie, earning the character a lasting persona in spoof cinema. The film helped popularize the paced, gag driven spoof of crime thrillers and left a trail of routines echoed in parodies. It helped shape later spoof comedies and influenced studios' approach to action humor.

Critics generally praised the brisk humor and Nielsen's performance, though some noted repetitive bits. The film satirizes corporate glare, media sensationalism, and the blunders of law enforcement, balancing satire with physical gags that keep the tone light and accessible. The tone avoids cruelty and invites a broad audience.